The Four Spiritual Stages (1)
Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, “I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; . . .” Exodus 6:6-7 NASB
Bring you out – Rabbi Munk[1] suggests that the exodus from Egypt involved four stages delineated by these four words. These words were needed in order for the children of Israel to comprehend the full implications of YHWH’s choice. No single word could capture the full meaning. These four words are: yatsa’ – to go out, to come out, to go forth; natsal – to deliver, to rescue, to save; ga’al – to redeem, to ransom, to do the part of the kinsman; and laqah – to take, to get, to acquire, to marry, to lay hold of.
Since YHWH thought it important enough to describe these four stages with different verbs, it’s probably worthwhile to note what each of these means for the children of Israel and for us. Of course, this implies that a conception of redemption that does not include all of these stages will be insufficient and perhaps spiritually impotent. It also implies that the stages are contiguous, that is, it isn’t possible to skip over one to get to the next. Each step involves actions necessary for the next step. Missing a step means anemic and arrested development.
The first stage in YHWH’s action toward His people is to bring them out. Specifically, YHWH declares that He will bring them out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. Since the next stage is about deliverance and rescue, this stage cannot be called “redemption.” It is something preliminary to redemption, namely, the removal of the oppressor and the oppressor’s stranglehold of slavery. We are not redeemed until we have been removed from our bondage. What should be quite obvious is that we are not able to take this step. We cannot remove ourselves from bondage just as the Israelites could not remove themselves from Pharaoh’s oppression. No Arab Spring ousted Pharaoh. The oppressed needed the intervention of God to accomplish this first and vital step.
Recognizing this necessity has two important consequences. The first is this: it sets aside forever the idea that the Jews thought of their righteousness as something they earned by keeping the Torah. Removal of bondage, the quintessential type of sin, is God’s word! It is a gift, not a right or a reward. Christian naivety suggesting the Jews lived under “works righteousness” simply ignores the obvious.
The second consequence drives the point home for us. Neither can we extricate ourselves from the bondage of sin. It is still God’s work. He removes the oppressor. He overcomes the strong man who kept us captive. Unless we avail ourselves of His act, we are doomed to endless and pointless attempted revolutions; revolutions that return us to the same captivity we tried to hoist from our own shoulders. Sin is not Man’s job. Obedience to the Lord who removes the oppressor is our job.
Accepting God’s intention (“and I will be their God”) begins with God’s action, not ours. He starts it all by aiming His initiative toward us. We are caught in the flow of His spirit. What is required is a declaration of awe and fidelity. That seems very close to saying,
“My name is ________ and I am a sinner.”
Topical Index: bring out, yatsa’, sin, righteousness, Exodus 6:6
I AM.
I WILL.
Thanks, Skip, for the great reminder that today’s scripture
reveals about God’s absolute sovereignty and unquestionable
love for us.
And thanks to our Lord Jesus who humbly reminded us again
of this great truth when He said:
“I can of Myself do nothing.”
What beautiful, encouraging, enlightening, invigorating words for today with Yom Kippur (new moon Biblical dating) beginning tonight.
YES, Daria! So joyful to read that 🙂 Most folks got that right! Exciting that YHWH is restoring His calendar!
Such an encouraging post, Skip! I especially appreciated your comment about how we can’t skip over one part and go to the next – that it’s a process (and the uniquely separate but contiguous parts remind me of Chesed!) I have a song that sort of tells this story – it’s not finished yet (still needs editing and mixing), but those of you reading Skip’s blog can preview a rough mix of it here: http://teresathomasmusic.com/ma-nishtana. The password is: Skip
……I will bring you out from…….
……I will deliver you from……….
…….I will redeem you with……….
……..I will take you for……………
……” We are not redeemed until we have been removed from our bondage”………
…….”Accepting God’s intention (” and I will be their God” ) begins God’s action”……
Thanks Skip for giving me a new perspective to meditate on. For me this both meat and bone of Torah teaching and I intend feasting on it.
Shallom Shallom
Ifeoma
Thanks for all of this Skip but in particular for “Christian naivety suggesting that the Jews lived under “works righteousness”simply ignores the obvious.” I have heard the naive part repeated over and over in so many subtle ways over the years that I never gave it a second thought before you mentioned it here.
I would like to understand when this red herring first showed up.
I was brought up with the “NT” as my foundation and it is only in the last three years that Abba has brought me to dig all that up and relay the foundation again with the solid stone of Torah. It was not until I saw that Jesus/Yeshua said in Jn 5:46 that Moses wrote of Him that I could see that Torah=Yeshua and if I wanted to know who He really is, He can only be found concretely here. Yes, I could read all about the things that He did and the words that He spoke; but if I wanted to handle Him for myself it would have to be in walking out His calendar in His way. Year by year He has been faithful to reveal more and more of His true character and nature. I do all of these things because I love Him and want to be doing what He is doing, when He is doing it.
Can’t seem to focus right now, so I’ll leave it there for now.
Shalom
Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel,
“I AM the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their bondage. I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; . . .” (Exodus 6:6-7)
In the beginning was… YHWH. In the beginning was “I AM.” In the beginning was the Word.. In the beginning was the Logos..
The “I AM’s” of the Messiah:
http://www.icr.org/article/500/
Yes, Moses.. – say unto the sons of Israel, “I AM” and “I will..”
God spoke, and the “amen” came into being. “It was so..” God is the Source. God is the Sustainer. And God is our Savior. The declaration/confession of Thomas, “My LORD and my God” is, (or should be) ours as well..”My LORD- my Savior, my Strength, my Shield, my Rock and my Redeemer!!
What was the response of Paul (formerly known as Saul) when YHWH revealed Himself to him? ~ He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? ~
What was Pharaoh’s response to Moses, the servant of the LORD?
~ Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice? ~ (Exodus 5.2) (Thank you Pharaoh, I believe this to be the second greatest question in all the scriptures.) Pharaoh found out..(didn’t he?) After ten huge opportunities to repent – He learned, (-the hard way) and by that time he was on his way down to the bottom of the sea, but he did “know” just before his own death.
And from one of my favorite passages of scripture, here again, the “I AM” is revealed.. (though I have to wonder, was this but a tiny glimpse of glory?)
~…So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, went forth and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He said to them, “I AM” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them. So when He said to them, “I AM” they drew back and fell to the ground ~ (John 18.4-6)
All throughout the scriptures- it seems every time God the Creator reveals Himself to man the creature, the response is always the same.. ~ and they fell to the ground! ~
~ And when they saw Him (the Word made flesh) they worshiped Him, but some doubted ~ (Matthew 28.17)
Did the Messiah receive the worship of men and of angels? – Why?
~ Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. And they sang a new song, saying:
“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
because You were slain,
and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth.”
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they were saying:
“Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!”
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying:
~ To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever! ~
The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
The Alpha and the Omega. In the beginning and the end, ~ it is the LORD ~
~ The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. This is the LORD’S doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
~ This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.… ~
I am the LORD and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians
And I will deliver you from their bondage
I will also redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments
Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God
Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdom come
Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day, our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses and trespassers
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
Amen
How wonderful this verse has become being defined this way. Thank you, Skip.
“ga’al – to redeem, to ransom, to do the part of the kinsman; and laqah – to take, to get, to acquire, to marry, to lay hold of…” “Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God;” HalleluYAH!
Exciting, what a marvellous YAH!!
In spite of our shortcomings He is willing to embrace us, forgive us our transgressions against Him and Torah, when we turn back to His ways!
It is also likened to climbing a ladder, no skipping over one, but one rung at a time!
“Unless we avail ourselves of His act,” with obedience and submissiveness to YHWH that He may remove the oppressor is our job. The Israelites cried to ABBA Who heard their cries of oppression, and answered their cries.
Would the New Testament corollary of Exodus 6:6,7 then be something like:
yatsa’ – “justification” this is where I can be separated legally from the condemnation of my sin.
nat sal – “salvation” this is where I have my sins washed in that precious blood.
ga’ al – “redemption” this is where I am no longer held in death as payment for my sins.
laqah – “sanctification” this is where I am purified and made a worthy bride?
Definitely NOT all the same action!
Thank you for this.